Dunnage producing mechanism for producing a resilient pad-like cushioning dunnage product having lateral pillow-like resilient portions connected together by a lengthwise extending central portion, such as for instance a coined section, are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,198 to Ottaviano dated May 31, 1977 and entitled Cushioning Dunnage Mechanism, Transfer Cart Therefor and Method, discloses a cushioning dunnage producing mechanism of the general type shown as used in connection with the present invention, and which includes a cutter mechanism therewith selectively actuatable by a workman, for cutting the produced strip of pad-like dunnage product into selected lengths.
Such prior art cutter mechanism conventionally comprises an air actuated motor unit which moves a cutter blade mounted on rollers mounted in guiding tracks, relative to the produced dunnage product, to cause transverse severing of the resilient pad-like product into selected lengths.
The prior art converter mechanism per se are generally actuated or powered by an electric drive motor connected to a speed reducer which in turn is operatively connected to one of a pair of coacting gear-like members of the connecting section of the mechanism, for causing rotation of the gear-like members of the connecting section, to perform a coining or connecting operation on the laterally oriented pillow-like portions of the formed stock material, by rotation of the gear-like members as the rolled edge stock material is pulled through the connecting section of the converter mechanism by such electrically powered rotating connecting gear-like members.
Energization of the electric drive motor of the converter mechanism thus not only actuates the connecting mechanism thereof, but also provides for movement of the sheet-like stock material through the machine for formation of the pad-like dunnage product and movement of the latter out the exit end of the converter mechanism, in the production of the pad-like dunnage product by the converter mechanism.
In the past, the cutter mechanism which must be able to shear rapidly and thoroughly through the produced, relatively resilient pad-like cushioning dunnage product in order to expeditiously cut the produced product into the desired lengths, in the process of utilizing the product as packing, has conventionally been actuated or energized by means of a reciprocal type pneumatic motor, with such motor being energized by means of workman operated finger switches on the converter mechanism, to cause operation of an associated solenoid valve, permitting pressurized air to enter the reciprocal air powered motor unit and thus actuate the latter and initiate the severing operation on the produced dunnage product. This need for a source or pressurized air to operate the cutter of the prior art converter mechanisms has sometimes limited the use of the prior art converters in that some commercial and/or manufacturing installations do not possess a source of pressurized air, and thus power cutting of the produced strip of cushioning dunnage pad-like product was not possible, and either the machine could not be used at such locations, or manual severing of the pad-like product emitted from the machine had to be resorted to. Manual severing is not satisfactory because among other factors it is extremely time consuming, and generally disrupts the structure of the formed pad-like product.